Tim’s 3-way Bypass surgery

Jan is my favorite nurse in the world! The surgery was scheduled for Friday the 14 at 9:00 AM. During recovery, I was told that my left leg “extra veins” had been used to fix two of the needed bypasses, while mammary arties (stronger) had been employed for the remaining one of the three, hence I have a single small incision on my left leg, and the proverbial 8” scar in my chest, reflective of the surgeons having sawed my sternum in two, opening me up about 6 inches and doing their wonderful magic.

By 3:00 PM, I was learning what life is like carrying a big red 18” stuffed heart pillow around with me to hug like mad when a coughing fit hits. I mean that is nooooo fun.

Jan is granted a couple of weeks off by Kaiser (do we like Kaiser? Yes!!) while I mend, and we’ve been graciously blessed by ministers in Sonoma, not only visiting in San Francisco, but preaching for me last Sunday and this coming: Larry Moore (Sonoma Christian Fellowship), Jim Hill (Glen Ellen Community Church), Tim Christenson (Faith Presbyterian Church) – Alan Piotter, retired from Faith Lutheran Church preached for me this last Sunday, the 16^th on very short notice, as will my predecessor Tim Boeve, still a resident of Sonoma and a favorite of our congregation. Then, I recall that I was calendared to meet with Nancy Taylor of the United Methodist Church in Sonoma, my replacement as secretary/treasurer of the Sonoma Valley Ministerial Association. We were to meet for work for the association on that Friday the 14^th. . . then . . .

Are we amazingly behind in administrative details? Yup. Am a cared for more than I deserve? Yup! Do I love it that Jan is here all day long? Absolutely! Do we rejoice that she had the best hospitalization available for this event? Yes!

Then there is SuJean Dabney, who brought us a gorgeous quilt that needed to be tossed over me as I sit in our living room, swinging between napping, dozing, watching the state of our world on the news, reading and trying to respond to some of the many E-mails which have backed up because of these last days experiences.

We are (I am!) blessed!

And, here it is Sunday morning, the 23^rd of November, and I’m much better, feeling more up, and will probably go for three walks today, with Jan, lengthening to the place where I’ll be able to make it to one of 3 coffee shops at the intersection of 5^th Street West and Napa Street. J’s Decaf from now on. And, I’ll do it!

Today is the 11^th of December – just almost a month ago (tomorrow) when I went in for evaluation, etc.

Yesterday, I had my last visit with my surgeon, Dr. Richter, in San Francisco. He clarified for me what I’d misunderstood earlier: while 5 arteries to the heart were occluded, only three needed to be fixed in order for my heart to function properly. I think our girls knew that, but I’d been foggy on the details.

He further released me to drive and said I no longer needed to worry about airbags re-breaking my sternum.

All in all, I still feel like I have much over which to rejoice, not the least of which is, I’m still here!

Kind regards,

tim (for jan, too)

Web posted: November 20, 2008

Updated: December 11, 2008

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